Titanic: Mermaid Sentinels
by LoveStoryMermaid
Summary: Emma, Rikki, and Cleo live in 1912 England and decide to begin vacation on Titanic. How does the voyage turn out?
1. Titanic

**Titanic: Mermaid Sentinels**

"Would you look at that!" Emma breathed as they came up to Titanic.

"Wow," agreed Cleo, staring at the ship in wonder.

"Big deal, it's a ship," Rikki, her blonde hair braided up in a bun, complained "Which I still say we shouldn't be on!"

"Rikki," Emma said, exasperated, "Just look how high off the water we are, it won't be a problem."

"Besides," Cleo agreed, "It's unsinkable."

Rikki rolled her eyes, "I still don't see why we can't just swim where we want to go for vacation."

Emma sighed, "This is lost on you, isn't it? That's it's the biggest and grandest ship yet built on her first voyage."

"Even better reason not to be on it! It hasn't been tested!" Rikki cried.

"Rikki," Cleo begged, "Stop complaining. Nothing can sink Titanic. If you didn't want to go, you should have stayed behind."

"Oh, and leave you two to brag about everything when you get back. I don't think so."

Emma shook her head, adjusting her white hat as she opened the door, and hearing the warning whistle, said, "Come on, we don't want to miss it."

"Move out my way!" Rikki all but growled at the crowd as they tried to make their way to the ship.

"Rikki," Emma rebuked.

"Well," She remakerd.

Cleo just shook her head, "Come on!"

Soon enough, they were loading onto the loading ramp to the second deck of Titanic. Cleo and Emma looked around once more, at all the different people loading onto this one ship, those dressed better and less than themselves, at everything. Cleo wished they had the money for clothes like those the first class passengers wore. Oh, well, they were well enough. She was in a simple blue dress, Emma in a white one, with a blue tie around the waist. Rikki, ever rebellious as she could be, was in a red top and brown skirt.

When they got in the cabin, Rikki smiled to herself and reached up and tugged at one of the white ribbons in Cleo's hair.

"Hey!" she yelled turning around.

Rikki was laughing, "I couldn't resist. Come on, you know it was just begging to happen!"

Emma put her hand to her forehead, "Can you two please try and be good. If so, I wouldn't mind go up on deck to see us leave port."

RIkki rolled her eyes, "Go if you want. I'm staying here and getting settled. I'll admit, not bad."

"Definitely," agreed Cleo, looking around at the sink, curtains, and beds, all brand new. She turned to Emma, "I'll come."

Emma smiled, "Come on, then," pulling Cleo to the door and pausing a second, "You're positive, Rikki?"

"Couldn't be more so."

"Fine, then."

Rikki looked around and after hearing the second whistle, changed her mind. Emma was right. She was being silly. Ships didn't sink, especially this one, and this was going to make history. She ran out the door to where they would have gone.

Cleo turned around a second after waving to no one, "RIkki! Changed your mind?"

Rikki shrugged, "Guess I did. Who in the world are you waving to?"

Cleo laughed, "No one in particular, but some of these people have just come to see Titanic leave. Might as well wave them goodbye."

Rikki shook her head, not waving but looking around, admitting to herself it was pretty amazing.

The final whistle sounded and the last of the anchoring lines were dropped and Titanic was on her way.

Emma was smiling, "Can you believe it?"

Rikki couldn't help herself, "No, I can't. You're acting as if you just met Prince John and he aksed you for a date!"

Emma laughed, "Rikki," but thought a moment and said, "But you're right, this is a much a once in a lifetime chance as that would be."

Rikki threw up her hands and Cleo just laughed. Soon enough, they headed back down to get comfortable.

"Blasted skirts," Rikki grumbled as she stepped out of her day outfit into more comfortable nightclothes, "I don't know how the two of you stand those dresses all day. I wish we could just dress like the guys do. It'd be so much more convenient."

Cleo was used to similar complaints from Rikki, but Emma remarked, "Really, Rikki! They're not that bad!"

"Hmph, speak for yourself, then," she replied.

"You're impossible."

Rikki threw her palms up and shrugged, smiling and Emma just shook her head.

Two days later, Emma found Cleo and Rikki enjoying the sunny weather on deck, "Guess what was just announced!"

Rikki shook her head, "Someone jumped overboard after going gaga over dolphins? No, wait, Prince John really is on board!"

Cleo started laughing and Emma remarked, "That's not funny!"

RIkki nodded, "Yes it is. At least how you reacted."

Cleo recovered, "Sorry, Emma. What was announced."

Emma smiled, apparently forgiving Rikki, "There's a dance tonight!"

Cleo gasped in surprise, excited.

Rikki groaned, "Please, no."

"Rikki," Cleo begged.

"But, that means I have get in a dress," Rikki complained and when Cleo gave her the puppy dog face, "Cleo…fine."

"Yes! Emma, when is it?"

"In four hours. Just enough time to go up to dinner and then get ready."

"Sounds good."

"I'll admit," Rikki said later, after going to their cabin to get ready, "I could eat the food here all day."

"That's for sure," Cleo and Emma agreed.

Soon after, Emma was in long sleeve blue dress with a modest scoop top, her hair pulled back in two strands and held together with a white decorative clip. Cleo had on a short sleeve purple dress that was had a square top and Emma had done her hair up, braided and in a bun, like Rikki, who had put herself in a red short-sleeve dress with a sweetheart top. When the girls arrived at the dance room "Moonlight Bay" had just and "Love is Like a Firefly" began.

"Tell you what," Rikki said, "You two enjoy this song."

Emma laughed, "Come on, Rikki. We either have to all sit this one out, or you have to join in. It'd be silly for just me and Cleo to dance to this one."

Rikki sighed, "Fine," but was more animated a few songs later when a more lively tune turned up.

"We'll be in America in just three more days," Emma said at dinner with mixed feelings two days later. She had enjoyed Titanic and still did, but was getting a little tired of being confined to the ship.

"Mmm, let's not think of that. This is amazing. I wonder if there'll be another ball sometime?" Cleo responed.

Rikki, unsurprisingly responded, "If there is, you two are going alone."

"Oh come on, Rikki," Cleo protested, "You had fun last time."

"I'd have been happier if it wasn't in a dress and outside."

"Well," Emma smiled, "I doubt that will happen, but I agree that a dance outside would be nice."

After their dinner of curried chicken and rice for Emma and roast turkey and cranberry sauce fro Cleo and Rikki, the girls were heading downstairs, when Emma noticed the setting sun, "You guys go ahead if you want. I'm going to stay on deck for a bit."

Rikki nodded, though Cleo said, "I'd stay, but I'm exhausted."

Emma nodded, "That's fine. See you guys soon." She looked out, it was turning out to be a gorgeous sunset, purple, reddish-pink, and gold. It was beautiful and just a light wind. She looked down when she heard someone laugh and was at first surprised, but then smiled. So sweet! Though, she wasn't sure if they should be there, it didn't really matter. There was a couple at the bow, a young gentleman with dirty blonde hair was holding onto a young woman with gorgeous red hair standing up on the bow with her arms out. Emma looked closer, maybe she shouldn't pry, but shouldn't couldn't help it. The woman, at least, upon close inspection shouldn't be there. Her clothes were far too fine to be on third deck. But, Emma couldn't find it in her to scold them. She had no place or right, she didn't even know them. Besides, it was simply so sweet and she'd always though the class system a little silly anyways. But, she shouldn't pry and she'd been out long enough, so she headed back inside. She was still smiling when she went into the cabin to find Emma and Cleo already asleep, but cards on the floor. Oh well, then, and Emma, too, settled into bed.

"Mmm," Cleo groaned as she opened her eyes and looked for a clock. It was 11:30 at night. She tried to go back to sleep, but after five minutes got up, frustrated. She knew from the past that once she was up in the middle of the night she wouldn't go back to sleep until she got tired again. She looked over, so Emma was back in, not a surprise. Cleo knew it would be too late to see the sunset, but figured a walk out on deck might help.

Up on deck, Cleo may not have seen the entire sunset, but the night was gorgeous enough. It was a little windy and cold, but starry and otherwise calm, quite peaceful and quiet. At least, it had been quiet. Suddenly, she heard laughter and looked down to see a couple, a young redheaded woman and blonde gentleman. She smiled, they looked so happy, but she focused on the horizon. It was calming and starting to make her sleepy. She was just about to go back to the cabin and try to get back to sleep, when she heard a bell ring out. Could she not get any peace tonight? Cleo sighed; the bell had woken her back up.

Then, though, her gaze became fixed on what she realized must have been cause for it. She blinked. Yes, it was still there, a huge iceberg dead in front of them. She waited for the boat to turn, she could barely notice it. It was going too slow. She bit her lip and looked around. The couple she'd heard before had been joined by a few other passengers and on the second deck, there were also another passenger come to enjoy the night air, but he was in the opposite direction she needed to be. She had to try, though she doubted it would help. She ran to the back of the boat and looked around once more. No, everyone attention was to the front. Okay then, she held out her hand to the water, making a hard fist and swinging it right, trying to get the water to change quicker. It was too late. She felt a hard jolt and heard a loud crash and knew they had hit. She went up a ways, trying now to see the extent of severity. It wouldn't really matter, she told herself. Titanic was built unsinkable. But, the iceberg was huge and they kept scraping by.

Cleo frowned, but then hurried to get Emma and Rikki. She met them on the stairs, the had been woken when they hit.

"Cleo, what's going on? Do you know?" Rikki asked.

Cleo stared at them, she hoped Rikki wouldn't be proved right in that they shouldn't have come on Titanic.

"Cleo?" Emma begged, looked around and then her eyes widened as she looked back and saw the iceberg, but she calmed herself.

Before Rikki could see it herself and completely freak, Cleo confirmed, "We hit an iceberg."

"What?" Rikki half yelled and followed Emma's gaze, "Good god, Cleo, tell me not that iceberg! It's huge!"

"How could we have hit that?" Emma asked, just calm.

Cleo shook her head, "I don't know, but we did."

Emma nodded, "Alright, well, it'll be alright, won't it. I mean Titanic is practically unsinkable. We'll pull in a port and see what needs to be done. Right?"

Rikki wasn't fooled, "_Practically_ unsinkable, Emma! Look at the size of it! And it's the middle of the night! Look around! Do you see land anywhere?"

"We shouldn't panic," Cleo said falteringly, "It'll be fine, Rikki," she ended pleading.

Rikki pushed her lips together and Emma bit her lip, uncertain.

"Let's see if we can't find out," Emma suggested.

Rikki shook her head, "That won't do any good Emma. Either it's fine and they'll tell us so and there's no need to worry, or it's a problem and that won't tell us so that people don't panic."

"Come on," Emma said, "It seems like everyone's gathering inside. We might be able to find something out there."

But, the sight inside was no comfort, as Cleo exclaimed, "They're all wearing life vests. Emma, they're…!"

"Hush, Cleo. That's obvious. Come on," Emma frowned, inside it was as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened except for Cleo's observation. She saw server, "Excuse me, sir, but could you tell us what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, miss. I only know that we've hit and my orders are to continue work as normal. I suppose that might mean the captain is surveying for any damage, but it's not likely to be much. I wouldn't worry."


	2. Mermaid Sentinels

"_I wouldn't worry."_

* * *

><p>Emma nodded, "Thank you," and then turned to Cleo and Rikki, frowning and shaking her head, "They're covering. I don't know about you guys, but I have a really bad feeling about this."<p>

Rikki was quick to respond, "I said so from the be.."

"Rikki," Emma begged.

Before Cleo could say anything, though, they heard a shout outside and went to see what it was about. The scene outside was not promising. Far from it.

"Emma," Rikki began at the same time Cleo started, "They're unloading the…"

"Shh!" Emma whispered, "I can see what they're doing. Listen."

'"Good. For the time being, I shall require only women and children."'

Rikki nodded and stepped forward, when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around to see Emma saying, "Wait, Rikki."

"What? Emma," she leaned forward, "We _have_ to get on those boats. If the ship is sinking we can't be in the water."

Emma bit her lip and paused a second before answering, "I know, but, that's just it," she looked Cleo, too, "It's April. The water is freezing, but," she whispering, leaning in closer, "not to us. We're the only three on this ship for whom the water isn't likely perilous."

"Emma!" Rikki basically shouted, then lowered her voice a bit, "You can't be serious! Look around you! There are lifeboats, it's not like everyone's just going to be floundering in the water! Besides, even if we did, okay" she lowered her voice more, "we wouldn't likely die from the cold, but we're bound to be seen!"

Emma took a breath and answered slowly and quietly, "No, Rikki. I noticed before, you'd made me at least wonder, there aren't enough boats for everyone on board. And, the water's cold enough and people are panicked enough, it would easily be passed off as a hallucination. Rikki, Cleo, we could help a lot of people. We're fast. And, Rikki, you can heat up the water."

"Emma!" Rikki cried, "What do you mean there aren't…"

"Sh!" she begged.

Rikki lowered her voice, "enough lifeboats? And in case you haven't notice, it's not a cup of water we're sinking in. It's an ocean! I can't warm up an entire ocean!"

"Rikki, you people are never concerned about safety precautions until they need them, especially here. Titanic is supposed to be unsinkable. Why would they waste money on seemingly unnecessary lifeboats? They wouldn't. And you don't have to heat up the _whole _ocean. Cleo?"

Cleo face was distressfully panicked, "I…You're positive there aren't enough boats?"

Emma nodded and then so did Cleo, turning to Rikki, "Rikki, hear me out. There's of us. There's hundreds of them. We can try to help."

Rikki shook her head, "Cleo, you're right. There's _hundreds_ of them. We might be able to help fifteen, if we're lucky, ten even."

"It's still more than three, Rikki."

"Emma, it's going to be a disaster even if we help."

"But we can help and still be alright. We're the only ones on this ship who can say that."

"No! We can't! We could be seen and shipped off!"

"We we're wasting time," Cleo interjected, "Rikki, that we'll be seen is likely, but that anyone would either remember or take it seriously is unlikely. I think we have to risk it."

Rikki put her hands behind her head, shut her eyes and took a breath, "I don't think it will do much good, but, alright."

Emma nodded, "Alright, for now, we can't do anything. We have to wait. We should get away from the lifeboats, though, before we're told to get in. You're right in saying we won't be able to help everyone and these people should be okay. Let's go. And now, we stay on as long we can?"

Cleo and Rikki bit their lip, unsure, and then Rikki nodded, "Yes. If we wait, we can watch how it progresses, who and where will need our help."

Cleo nodded and Emma said, "Alright, then."

For a while, they just walked around the ship, looking confused and scared. The latter wasn't a problem. Then Emma saw something, "Cleo!" and pointed to where a team was struggling with an upper lifeboat, "Can you?"

Cleo nodded, "On it," and discreetly held out her hand palm up and slowly pushed out, helping the team successfully, miraculously, bring the boat beside the one that had been beneath it."

"Cleo, it's not the only one!" Emma remarked.

Cleo looked around and saw it, twisted her hand up again to help the crew steady it to bring it down to the deck.

Now, though, the water was starting to rise on the deck, "Climb!" Cleo called.

Up top, she pushed her hand forward, trying to stop the water. She could only slow it. While she tried and people were beginning to be in the water, Rikki made two fists, trying to at least warm it up. "I…" Cleo called, straining, and suddenly her arms dropped and she hung her head a moment, before looking back up and changing plans, she tried to just slow the water down, pushing her hands in and it, just trying to change its path. After a moment, though, Emma called, "Cleo," shaking her head. Cleo closed her eyes and nodded. Like Rikki had said, it was an entire ocean; she couldn't hold back the entire ocean. "Let's go," she called, but backing up slowly, slowly releasing her little hold on the water so it would come in a mad rush once she let it go.

Once she let it go she ran with Emma and Rikki. Right now, they couldn't help anyone. Right now, they had to stay out of the water a little longer. Anyone in the water would have to help themselves for a little while. Running, though, Emma heard something and yelled again, "Cleo! Stack!"

It only took a second for Cleo to see it, and a second more to know that with everyone swimming she could only try to hold it up, not divert it. She tried and she thought for the few seconds she could postpone it, she had let everyone get out of the way. But, with the ship evermore tilting upward and the weight of the steam stack that she was trying to hold up, she couldn't remain steady for long and soon was once more running with her friends.

Rikki called as they did, "Emma! Do we get off now on the far side or wait? If we wait, we'll be with a ton of people!"

Emma looked around, "If we stay people will notice what we're trying!"

"So we went crazy with panic!" Cleo yelled.

"No!" Emma suddenly called, we're going to be able to best help them from the water know. Ship goes breaks or goes down it's going to spray like crazy! Jump!"

Cleo and Rikki nodded, taking each other's hands, almost out of habit as they jumped off the side with least people, finally hitting the water hard. Emma came up first and yelled, like so many others, but for the seven seconds they had left to get away, "Swim!" She grabbed Cleo on the way, who had seemingly been stunned by the impact, yelling again, "Cleo swim!" Suddenly, Cleo nodded and did and then they were out of time. The girls' bodies temporarily froze when they changed.

"Alright!" Rikki yelled, "make sure whenever possible to only keep you feet down."

They all knew what she meant, but then realized another problem as Cleo called, "People will notice we're essentially in bikinis!"

Rikki looked around and then yelled grimly, "I don't think whoever's it is will miss three shirts!" for she had seen an abandoned suitcase.

The girls nodded and pulled on the first three tops they found, not, for once, caring what they looked like.

Cleo yelled to be heard, "Do we wait here until the ship goes down?"

Emma looked around, thinking, "Yes! Cleo, people are jumping and falling, see if you can help slow some of them down. Rikki, see if you can't heat up parts of the water."

They nodded, Rikki holding fists out to different parts of the water and Cleo cupping up her hands to slow the passengers, then, ultimately just focusing on the top, providing a strong pocket of air to keep those clinging on, on.

They watched the ship split and then the lights go out. Rikki focused where the remaining crew was trying to fix the lights and snapped her fingers, smiling when the spark helped relight the ship so everyone could at least still see.

For a minute, they could only watch as the ship sank. It was in the minute, that Cleo remarked, "This is going to be a long night."

No one bothered to respond.

Then, Emma called, "Carefully and not too close, we need to get close to where the ship is going to ultimately go down! A lot of people who don't have vests on won't be able to survive the suction it'll create. We can hold our breath if we need to." The ship begin to go under and we were waiting. Emma called, "Ready? Grab anyone who doesn't have on a vest! Rikki…!Go!"

They dove as the ship went under, Rikki grabbed the first one she saw and immediately letting a little heat flow from her hands as she grabbed another and pulled them up, yelling to both, "Swim! And don't stop swimming!" She dove back under, looking for anyone who might still be under, unconscious. She saw two bodies losing their struggle and grabbed them, also pulling them up while to keep them warm. They made it to the surface with her help as she yelled the same thing and then looked around for Emma and Cleo. Cleo was right there. Rikki called, "Where's Emma?"

As Cleo was about to answer, Emma's blond head popped up, "Right here. I wanted to make sure no one had sunk down."

Rikki nodded, "Me too," then they all looked around, "Shit."

"Emma," Cleo breathed, "What can we do? There's too many."

She answered solemnly, "We knew we wouldn't be able to help everyone….Rikki, try and heat up areas. Cleo, see those pieces of wood way? Help me bring them closer in for people."

They nodded, Rikki holding spot after spot for about twenty seconds as Cleo and Emma swam as fast as they could without causing a stream on top of the water, stopping at crowds they had seen stop moving, reminding them to swim. Emma dragging them, while Cleo tried to warm up the water by circling it when they wouldn't respond when they finally ran out of wood. Eventually, they came back over to Rikki, Cleo holding back tears.

Emma kept looking around for anyone who really needed help they could give and took a breath, "Rikki, there," she'd seen a mother holding onto an infant.

Rikki looked around and shook her head, "We can do better than this. Look at the lifeboats around. I'll get them; you guys try and help get people to the boats. There's plenty of room."

They nodded and Rikki hurried over to the mother and child, who could only shiver and look at her. Rikki held onto them, warming them, "Listen. Look, see that boat, there? Hang on to me and I'll get you over there, okay? You're going to be alright."

The mother was slowly stopping to shake in Rikki's grip and nodded, whispering, "Thank you."

Rikki just nodded as she carefully swam up to the boat, to the surprise crewman, who just wordlessly took the babe first, and then the mother and a woman offered them her coat. Rikki swam off before they could tell her to get in, repeating the process over and over, heating up patches of water as well.

Emma was looking around as well, proud and jealous of Rikki. Rikki could actually keep these people warm, Cleo even could try to, but she couldn't do a thing besides get them to the boat. Well, she reminded herself, it was better than nothing. She grabbed two more people, they looked like brother and sister, telling them to, "Swim with me. We're going to get to that boat."

Cleo, too, was looking around, not quite able to ignore the nagging fact that they would help, but not nearly enough. So could only do so much with water, poor Emma could only drag them to boats, and Rikki couldn't heat everything at once. It was already starting to get deathly quiet. She looked up a moment. She wasn't sure if it was a shame it was such a beautiful, clear night. She shook her head and grabbed the next two people she saw, "Come on, you have to keep swimming. See that boat, come on."

After a while, though, Cleo knew the only one who could help know was Rikki. People were getting too still now for just moving water to be enough to keep them warm. She went over to Emma, who was fighting back tears, wiping the few that escaped away. "Come on, Em. Let's get closer to Rikki. She can keep trying to warm them up, while we bring them over. Look, a couple boats are coming back."

Emma just nodded, then paused, listening, and then took a breath. She'd heard a woman calling out a name, weakly, and talking. Then she saw her, a young woman with red hair nearly frozen to a wooden door, holding on to…a young blonde gentlemen, nearly frozen, whose shivers were slowing. It was the couple she seen before. "Rikki!" she called and pointed to them. Rikki nodded, swimming over, grabbing hold of the young man, first, trying to warm him up.

The woman tried to ask "Wh-wh-" and Rikki changed her plan, since the guy was holding on to the board, to leave one hand on him and bring the other to the woman. "What's your name? I'm Rikki. It's going to be alright."

"R-Rose," the redheaded woman got out, "and th-that's Jack."

Rikki nodded and smiled comfortingly, "You two together?"

Jack was starting to get some color back into his face as was Rose, and began with a shaky laugh, "Well…"

Rose smiled, "We are," and looked at Jack, "we promised, didn't we?"

"R-R-Rik-ki" Cleo came over, her voice reminding her not only to try to act like their body temperature was extremely cold, but that they needed to try to help others now they were alright.

Emma meanwhile called to a boat, "Hey! Over here!"

They crewsman in the boat heard her and was soon there, "Helping Jack and Rose into the boat and blankets. Then offered her his hand, "Here, miss. Now, you."

Emma was past panicking, and just shook her head, "I'll be okay."

"Miss-"

"Please trust me on this," as Rikki came over with another young gentleman.

The crewsman looked at the three girls, bewildered.

Rikki answered quickly, "You'd be doing us as much a service as helping these people, if you didn't ever mention us," she turned to Emma and Cleo, "Come on."

The crewsman blinked his eyes, confused and wanting those three young girls safe in the boat, but, he couldn't force them. He continued his grim call, "Is there anyone alive out there?"

Rikki, Emma, and Cleo swam from group to group, finding just four more who had been able to stick out the freezing wreck, helping them to the boat. Eventually, though, they were forced to accept that there was nothing more they could do for the still hundreds in the water. They had a hard time, though, getting the man in the boat to leave them, "Please," Cleo begged, "trust us when we say we'll be alright."

Rose looked at the three girls as jack was about to try to convince them, too. Rose put her finger to Jack and said quietly, "Thank you. I don't know how you did what you've done, but I owe you my life. Sir, I know this and yet I feel it's right if we respect their wishes. I think they know what they're doing." She looked to Jack, and explained, "Sometimes what's crazy and doesn't make any sense is what you have to trust."

"Thank you," Emma said and turned to the boatman, "Please, go on."

Finally, then, reluctantly, he agreed, parting with, "Take care."

They nodded and Cleo kept swimming to the hundreds left still, tears in her eyes. Rikki went up to her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, "We've been calling for about five minutes. They've been her for at least thirty. I don't think we're going to find anyone else."

Emma came up too, "We've done what we could, and we would be hard pressed to not only explain to those in the boats how we got there, still so strong, and then to leave us behind."

The girls just hugged each other in the freezing ocean, then, when Rikki found something to say, quietly, "Emma, you were right, though. We were right to not get on that lifeboat. We knew we couldn't everyone, but we did save several people who otherwise likely wouldn't have made it."

Emma nodded. Suddenly, Cleo gave a small smile.

"What?" Emma asked softly.

"I was just thinking about who we're going to see."

Rikki groaned, but said quietly "Lewis always watches the news, doesn't he? We're never going to hear the end of it."

Emma sighed, "Come on, there's…we've got a long swim. You were right after all, Rikki."

To the swim part, Rikki smiled grimly, but responded, "No, we needed to be here," and dove down to swim the rest of the way. Emma followed. Cleo looked around once more, wondering if they shouldn't look for personals to give to the shipping port to return, but then shook her head. It would be too hard to explain who they were and how they were there. The rescue ship, _Carpathia_, she thought, would probably document names of all survivors and then there'd probably be boats sent out to recover the dead and with them their personals. So, she dove down and followed Rikki and Emma.

Emma, Cleo, and Rikki, exhausted, just reached the Statue of Liberty as the sun came that day. Swimming along the shoreline, they finally found a secluded spot of beach to pull up on. When they finally did, they just laid there until Rikki said, "I vote we do rock paper scissors for who stays up while the other two sleep while we dry off."

Emma allowed herself a small smile at that, but answered, "I know you're exhausted Rikki, but ten more minutes won't hurt. Lewis probably has a car, but is likely about to go crazy."

Cleo smiled, then, too, and Rikki groaned, "I don't think I can stand up even if I did, even could, dry us off. Maybe spending all night in freezing water does have an effect on us….Alright, I'll try." She held her hand weakly over herself first. It took far longer than it usually did for it to dry, but still quicker than if they had waited. "Alright, then," she said reluctantly, "but I better not try to do two at a time."

Finally, after what seemed ages, they were back to human form, in which they were shivering.

Emma said, "I g-guess you're right about that night in f-freezing water thing," offering her hand to Rikki, and immediately warmed up, though, when she accepted it.

Rikki grabbed hold of Cleo, helping her up the same way, then holding on to each other made their way to where the _Carpathia_ would have pulled in.

"Lewis!" Cleo called quietly when she saw him looking frantically about, "Lewis! Over here!"

He heard her, "Cleo! Emma! Rikki! You guys alright? I heard the news."

Cleo nodded, "We're fine, but we're exhausted. We just swam the whole way here."

Lewis's eyes went wide, "What?"

Emma's voice broke as she explained, "There weren't enough boats, Lewis. We didn't need them and we could help if we weren't in them."

Lewis closed his eyes and sighed, "You're crazy, but I understand. Come on, I don't see, then, how you three are still on your feet."

They finally got to the car and Lewis helped them in, asking, "You want the heat on?"

Three heads nodded back and before Lewis could ask them anything else, they were all asleep. Finally, though, they were back to his place and he leaned over to Cleo, covered in his jacket in the passenger seat, shaking her gently, "Cleo, Cleo sweetheart, wake up. We're here. Emma, Rikki, come on, we're here."

The girls slowly woke up, rubbing their eyes.

Lewis said, "I'll grab your bags. You guys want to go back to sleep or just hang out."

The girls looked at each other and Rikki asked, "Can we put the news on and grab some snacks?"

Lewis nodded, "We can do that."

"Thanks, Lewis," the three said as they walked inside.


End file.
